All By Myself

Set in a lockdown, All By Myself is a frank exploration of the difficulty of “living your best life” in nearly unlivable conditions. The play opens with a woman wrapped in a blanket, her back to the audience. Her only company on stage is a desk, a sink basin, a box of cereal and a few spare pieces of wire. The woman is editing a video clip of herself for a DIY YouTube channel, which is displayed on a large screen. Yet between cheery takes in which she encourages viewers who may or may not be there to take care of themselves, hints of despair creep in. After all, how can you “Do It Yourself” when absolutely everything is slipping out of your control? 

The theatre company Part of the Main, which champions new writing and artists, is responsible for introducing All By Myself to the Vault Festival. At its heart, it is a show about one woman desperately trying to stave off hopelessness while everything around her falls apart. Stuck in her house with no possibility for social interaction, she speaks to the camera. In search of content and a form of self-care, she painstakingly slices avocado to create a restorative face mask. In the midst of a power outage, she utilises potatoes to create surges of electricity. Yet, with each attempt to quell the panic that is rising within her, the closer hysteria moves in.

The tone of this performance, co-written and directed by Jessica Bickel-Barlow, is reminiscent of a slow-burn horror film. A clear sense of foreboding persists throughout, as one can’t help but feel that no matter what the woman – played by a dynamic Charlotte Stanford – does, things will inevitably go wrong.

There are moments of comedy injected into an otherwise bleak stage world, as Stanford’s character moves through a variety of over-the-top video introductions and waves potatoes around wildly. Yet even within these humorous moments, undercurrents of desperation are clear, as the woman clings to constant distractions to avoid facing the grim reality of her isolation. There is good reason the play is mostly silent, as the deafening lack of speech highlights the extremity of her solitude. The quiet may, however, require audience members to apply a greater level of focus to avoid distraction.

Overall, the show presents an original and refreshingly honest depiction of life in lockdown conditions. In presenting the woman’s failed attempts to better her situation, All By Myself highlights the difficulty and ultimate futility of chasing the best version of yourself when life as you know it has crumbled.

Madison Sotos
Image: Alessandra Davison

All By Myself is at the Vaults from 7^th February until 12^th February 2023. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.